Lead checks made on playground equipment at Port Pirie

A researcher has been back to Port Pirie to check the effectiveness of washing-down the regional city's playgrounds, to ensure lead is not present.

Macquarie University Professor of Environmental Science Mark Taylor recommended in 2011 that Port Pirie playgrounds be washed regularly to reduce children's possible exposure to lead emitted from the Nyrstar smelter.

Nyrstar has been washing down playgrounds since last year, so Mr Taylor returned unannounced this week to do some follow-up testing.

He said he was pleased the results from the previous study had been accepted and playgrounds were being cleaned, but he wanted to determine whether morning washing of playgrounds was sufficient.

"It would be quite useful for people to know whether it works or not," he said.

"If it doesn't work they might decide to stop it and, if it does work, they might decide to do more of it."

Mr Taylor said the latest testing was done by simulating play on the equipment and taking samples from people's hands for laboratory testing.

He said it was important to turn up unannounced.

"As we know from the previous responses, a dim view was taken of this research even though subsequent to this research being published there has been quite positive action," he said.

"The reality is if you let people know what you're doing, they like to come and interfere because they don't want to know the results - no data, no problem."

Mr Taylor said there was an early indication the substances which collected on people's hands in the morning washed off quite easily, but such material harder to remove after any afternoon play.

"Because the washing [of playgrounds] occurs in the morning, when you've played on them for an extended period in the afternoon we're still finding that the hands are getting dirty," he said.

Mr Taylor said the results of the latest testing would be published in a peer-reviewed journal later in the year and made available for the local community to view.

In a written statement, Nyrstar said the playground cleaning schedule was reviewed regularly by the company.